Newsletter

A Chatham County commissioner and the sheriff are questioning the legality of Savannah-Chatham police arrests made outside city limits.

The issue was raised by Commissioner Dean Kicklighter during the board’s pre-meeting Friday morning, when he requested a letter be sent to the state attorney general seeking clarification regarding the matter.

Kicklighter said he recently learned it may be illegal for Savannah-Chatham police to patrol the county outside Savannah’s city limits. He said he understood officers had to be sworn in by the sheriff for that to occur.

Sheriff Al St Lawrence, who was present during the discussion, said he agreed with Kicklighter’s contention that police do not have enforcement powers outside the city.

Contacted later, St Lawrence reiterated his belief that the unincorporated patrols are illegal because the officers are employed by the city.

“It is clearly defined in Georgia law,” he said. “You get law enforcement from who employs you.”

In addition, St Lawrence said he did not want to swear in Savannah police officers because he did not want to accept the liability.

“I’m not going to help them circumvent the law,” he said.

County Attorney Jon Hart said the officers take two oaths — one for the county and another for Savannah — when they are sworn in, which allows them to patrol both jurisdictions.

Hart said the same claims were looked into when the eight-year-old police merger was being developed and that both he and Savannah’s city attorney agreed they were not valid.

“The county has the absolute right to have a police force,” he said. “If it elects to have that though a merged department, it has the right to do that.”

Scott said he would not send a letter to the attorney general, but asked Hart to research the matter further to provide clarification on the issue.

Kicklighter said later he hopes he is wrong.

“The fact is, if not, I have to be able to sleep,” he said. “If somebody gets murdered in the future and it’s not upheld in court because of a flawed merger, then that would weigh on me heavily.”

In other county news, a proposal to require the spaying and neutering of adopted dogs and cats was rejected Friday.

The proposed ordinance, which would also have required the microchipping of the animals, died due to a lack of action after county commissioners failed to approve the item for a vote.

Commissioners, as well as residents, had concerns about whether the ordinance could be enforced and whether it would reduce the number of adoptions.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP BUTLER, Okinawa, Japan — Marine Corps Captain James E. Frederick, who ejected from a Marine F/A-18 on Dec. 7, was pronounced dead after his body was found during search and rescue operations.